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There are so many ways to help a refugee in your community.
Here's how Haven works.
How can you help a refugee?
Refugees fleeing conflict arrive in Canada and struggle to resettle.
As a Canadian, you can help.
Canadians are using Haven to meet refugees from Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Even helping in one small way can make a big difference.

Hilary hosted Ruslana and Roman in her home while we found them an apartment.

The Sadya family from Syria received donated furniture to get them started in Canada.

Maya helped Angelika and Nick from Ukraine practice their English over video calls.

Hilary hosted Ruslana and Roman in her home while we found them an apartment.
Haven makes it easy to know who and how to help.
Refugees post requests for help, and Canadians post offers to help.
From there, you choose who you match with. If both sides agree, we exchange your contact info, and you will be able to meet either in-person or virtually.
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ID Verification
We verify the identities of all users. For Canadian hosts, we require an easy-to-complete background check.
We work with a Canadian company, Certn, to complete ID and background checks.
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Flexible Commitment
Canadians are busy. On Haven, you only help as much as you can or want to.
Even 30 minutes of your time is enough to help a refugee.
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Rewarding Work
Direct and personal help is fulfilling like nothing else.
We think that helping a refugee will be one of the best philanthropic experiences you will ever have.
We're a team of Canadians with years of experience in resettlement.
We have sponsored refugees, been on the frontlines of refugee crises, managed resettlement from A to Z, and led refugee advocacy campaigns across Canada.
Haven Refugees Inc. (Haven) is a registered Canadian charity based in Toronto, Ontario.

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Hold on, what exactly is Haven?We are a registered Canadian charity based in Toronto, but operating nationally. More refugees are coming to Canada than ever before, and we believe that Canadians and companies can help. By making it easier to know who and how to help, and by using technology, we want to make Canada the best country in the world at resettling refugees.
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Is Haven safe? Why do I need to verify my ID?We verify the ID of every Canadian who joins our platform. This means that everyone on the platform has verified, with a piece of government ID, that they are who they say they are. You can verify your ID on Haven through one of two methods. First, you can verify online instantly during sign-up using our partner Certn, a Canada-based leader in ID verification. Its 100% safe and free. However, if you're thinking "Hey, I don't want my ID sent somewhere electronically", we have a solution - book a 15 minute call with someone from our team. You'll be able to do this in the sign-up process. Lastly, if you're interested in hosting refugees in your home, we do require a police record check. You can do this through our platform (Certn facilitates the check) for a small fee to Certn.
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How much time do I need to commit to helping?30 minutes - that's it. That's enough to meet a refugee and help them in one way. From there, you're free to help as little or as much as you want, as frequently or infrequently as you want. Don't think of Haven as a big commitment. Rather, its a flexible way to get involved in directly supporting refugees and newcomers fleeing conflict - however you want, whenever you can.
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What are the exact types of help I can offer?We recommend that everyone start with our easiest form of helping: having a 30 minute conversation with a refugee who is looking for Language practice. From there, you can help with any of our other forms of help, such as Resume help, Networking to build a refugee's professional network, giving Free Items like furniture, Welcoming refugees to your city, Hosting of refugees for their first few weeks in Canada, and anything else you can think of in our Other category!
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I've never helped refugees before. Can I still help?Of course. Refugees are just like you, only they had to leave home because of conflict. Although its tough to put yourself in their shoes, its easy to imagine their needs once they get to Canada - feeling comfortable speaking in English or French, a safe home, a meaningful job, a new group of friends and contacts. Refugees lose everything when they are forced to leave home. You can help, even if its just by meeting a refugee family and welcoming them to your community.
Still wondering about something?
Reach out to our team at info@findhaven.org
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